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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    A new interactive tool gives professional turf managers a weapon to quantify the environmental impact of the properties they manage.
    Designed for professionals in the turf, tree, lawn care and landscape industries, the Clean Air Calculator from Project Evergreen was developed using research conducted at Ohio State, the University of Guelph and the U.S. Forest Service. It allows users to measure their property's ability to positively impact the immediate environment by contributing to cleaner air through carbon sequestration and offsetting vehicle emissions in a measurable way that can be communicated with others.
    Users can map an area using the interactive tool to track the benefits of turf, trees and shrubs. Once a property is mapped, the tool calculates cubic yards of clean air produced per year, pounds of sequestered carbon dioxide and how many miles of combustible engine exhaust are offset.

    A new clean air calculator helps users quantify the environmental benefits of the properties they maintain. Photo by John Reitman The tool can store multiple maps for those who manage more than a single property.
    The calculator is based in part on research conducted in 2010 at Ohio State that showed trees, shrubs and turf are able to sequester carbon at rates of 7.5-13 pounds, 0.15-0.5 pounds and 246-307 pounds per year, respectively.
    A 2022 sustainability study by researchers at the University of Guelph concluded that "a carbon calculator can be used as a tool to help educate homeowners, contractors and businesses to make informed decisions about how their maintenance practices influence the carbon sequestration potential of urban plant systems."
    The U.S. Forest Service cites more than two dozen research projects and publications touting the carbon-sequestering abilities of trees and forests and their positive environmental contributions.
  • The makers of an enzyme system for thatch management that has been in limited production since it was first developed recently launched the product into its first full year of production.
    The product now known as Thatch Zyme is a sprayable laccase enzyme-based thatch-management system that was initially developed by researchers at the University of Georgia and now marketed for sale by Colorado Springs-based ZymeCo.
    Excess thatch can lead to slow water and nutrient uptake in turfgrass and contribute to issues such as soil water repellency and soft, spongy greens. 
    According to early studies at the University of Georgia, the reduction in thatch layer thickness by laccase treatments was similar to reductions achieved by cultural management. Thatch control was maximized, researchers wrote in published research, through a program of laccase (Thatch Zyme), cultural practices and a wetting agent.

    Samples taken from a Maryland golf course indicate an 18 percent reduction in thatch in the treated area (left) compared with the control. Thatch Zyme is one of several products for the turf and agriculture markets offered by ZymeCo.
    During trials conducted in 2021-23 at nine golf courses in Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Montana, Vermont and Wyoming, laccase helped decrease thatch buildup by an average of 15 percent across all sites, and by more than 26 percent at sites in Jackson Hole.
    In a 2023 field study on golf turf in Colorado, biweekly treatments resulted in a 14 percent reduction in thatch during the golf season and increased root growth of 2 percent in a separate greenhouse study.
    A similar trial on 20-year-old bentgrass/Poa annua greens in Maryland, resulted in improved rooting and a reduction in thatch buildup of nearly 19 percent.
  • Envu recently released its Tarvecta fungicide as a preventive to manage many common soilborne diseases that affect finely cut turf.
    With the active ingredients fluoxastrobin and flutriafol, Tarvecta is a combination product that is labeled for control of many diseases, including fairy ring, summer patch, brown ring patch, take-all patch, leaf spot, anthracnose, snow mold and more on golf courses, athletic fields, sod farms and commercial lawns.
    Fluoxastrobin, a strobilurin fungicide, is taken up by the plant, while flutriafol, a DMI chemistry, moves through the xylem to internally control new fungal growth and form a protective barrier. The result is a fast-acting, disease-control solution for stressed and weakened turf.

    Tarvecta is a combination product that has the active ingredients fluoxastrobin and flutriafol. Envu photo "Diseases can establish quickly when turfgrass is stressed during peak playing times," said James Hempfling, Ph.D., of the Envu Green Solutions Team. "Whether managing a sports field or a golf course, disease damage disrupts turfgrass playability. That's why preventive practices are crucial. Tarvecta can be applied proactively ahead of stressful periods to protect against infection or curatively to ensure rapid recovery."
    A good tank mix partner, Tarvecta also is labeled for control of spring dead spot and take-all root rot in warm-season turf.
    Envu (short for Environmental Science U.S.) was established in 2022 out of the acquisition of Bayer Environmental Science by London-based private equity firm Cinven, and is a provider of chemical solutions for the professional turf market.
  • When a scheduling error for this year's National Golf Day in Washington, D.C., prevented attendees from helping spruce up the National Mall for the event service project, two other locations in need of plenty of TLC proved to be more than adequate replacements.
    A group of about 200 superintendents will be among those helping put a shine on the Armed Forces Retirement Home Golf Course and East Potomac Golf Course May 2 at the conclusion of National Golf Day, an annual event hosted by the American Golf Industry Coalition that allows golf industry stakeholders to spread the word to legislators in the nation's capital about the benefits of golf.
    About 150 of the 200 or so superintendents in attendance will work for about 3 hours at the Armed Forces Retirement Home course, with the other 50 taking on East Potomac.
    The project is a cooperative effort that includes GCSAA and several vendor partners, including Genesis Turfgrass of York, Pennsylvania, which is supplying sand, and Finch Turf, an equipment dealer with a half-dozen outlets in the Mid-Atlantic that is supplying a variety of 13 mowers for the Armed Forces Retirement project, said Jon Lobenstine, director of agronomy for Montgomery County's nine-course operation in Maryland and part of the association's National Golf Day planning committee. Toro is lending equipment for the East Potomac project.
    The course at the Armed Forces Retirement Home does not have a superintendent and relies on a handful of resident volunteers who are not trained agronomists.
    "They have no superintendent, no assistant, no equipment manager, no ability to spray. They mow almost everything with a zero-turn," Lobenstine said. "Cups are changed once a year, and there are dandelions on the greens."

    The National Golf Day service project will include sprucing up the volunteer-managed golf course at the Armed Forces Retirement Home. Jon Lobenstine photo There are more than 200 residents at the home, but fewer than 20 play golf, said Lobenstine.
    The project will include mowing everywhere, seeding, topdressing, spraying, some tree work and cleaning up flower beds, said Ryan Kraushofer, CGCS at Westminster National Golf Course in Manchester, Maryland.
    "This has been on our radar for a few years," Kraushofer said of the Armed Forces Retirement course. "It's been great to meet the retired vets who maintain the property. We're excited to see some superintendents come in and spruce the place up."
    The superintendent contingent will meet with legislators and their surrogates all day Thursday before making their way to the golf courses first thing Friday morning.
    As part of the project and to thank the Armed Forces Retirement Home volunteer greenkeepers for their service, the GCSAA contingent will make the group honorary association members.
    "I think they will be excited about that," Lobenstine said.
    National Golf Day is an annual event hosted by the American Golf Industry Coalition, a group of the game’s leading associations. During the three-day event, coalition members, including superintendent members of GCSAA, have the chance to meet with lawmakers and their staff members to discuss the game's economic and environmental benefits.
  • It is the nature of golf course superintendents to seek control in the day-to-day goings-on of the job. Variables like height of cut and application of water, fertilizers and pesticides are part of every superintendent's management plan, but bunker maintenance can be a different animal. Edges erode and washouts can occur with regularity.
    A stabilization product that its developer says can be incorporated into existing stocks of sand to help prevent erosion, washouts and other bunker-related headaches is now available in the U.S.
    Loksand from Loksand Global is a soil amendment comprising interlocking, crimped polypropylene fibers that become intertwined during mixing to bind and stabilize soil and sand profiles for use in hard-to-control areas like steep-faced bunkers and bunker edges. It was developed in Australia by former superintendent Danny Potter, founder of Centaur Asia-Pacific, an Aussie-based distributor of solutions for turf managers.
    During construction of the Miakka (sic) Golf Club, a 2024 Dana Fry-Jason Straka design in Myakka City, Florida, Loksand was used to established the club's steep-faced bunkers that were patterened after those found on Australian sandbelt designs.
    "There is only so much you can do with sand," said Loksand's Wayne Branthwaite, a former superintendent in Loksand's newly opened Jupiter, Florida office. "When you get the fiber in there, you have a malleable product you can work with."
    While providing stability to help keep bunker sand in place, the Loksand fibers also help create pore spaces that promote movement of oxygen and water.
    "You'd think it would prevent drainage, but it's the opposite," said Branthwaite. "It increases pore spacing and the ability to hold oxygen and reduces erosion."

    Loksand is a system of crimped fibers that interlock to help stabilize bunker sand. Loksand Global photo Loksand also allows users to amend poor quality turf in heavily trafficked areas, such as fairway cart path entry and exit points, walkways and green exits.
    The suggested mix rate is 3 kg (6.6 pounds) per ton, according to the company.
    "We're still establishing the limits of what it can do," Potter said. 
    "What’s more, Loksand can be mixed using whatever soils and sands you have on site. No need for any expensive import of particular sand mixes.
    "It's the crimp in the fiber that makes the difference. The crimp is what zigzags through the soil/sand particles and holds them all together. By adding the fibers, we're able to safely build bunkers with steeper angles of repose, in more dramatic shapes, without collapsing. The addition of Loksand also provides those faces better, more stable and predictable drainage and percolation, which invariably leads to better root structures — which ultimately stabilizes these steep areas that much better, over time."
    The Loksand technology was used during a 2023 renovation at Singapore Island Country Club by architect Graham Marsh. Erosion damage to the bunkers under reconstruction was a constant problem during the rainy season. Every time Marsh returned to check on construction progress, many had invariably eroded and collapsed. Loksand solved those issues, Marsh said.
    "I could tell immediately that this stuff was holding," Marsh said. "The bunker face was accepting it and the sand was staying in place. After several days of heavy rains — and nowhere in the world does it rain like Singapore — it remained in place."
  • The Syngenta Business Institute has been helping superintendents become stronger leaders for almost two decades.
    The application period for this year's Syngenta Business Institute is now open. Scheduled for Dec. 2-5 at the Graylyn International Conference Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, SBI is a four-day program conducted by the Wake Forest University Executive Education department that provides superintendents with graduate-level business instruction in the following areas:
    Leadership/decision-making Work/life balance Negotiations Leading across cultures and generations The deadline for applying for this educational and networking event is Aug. 11.

    This year's Syngenta Business Institute is scheduled for Dec. 2-5 at the Graylyn International Conference Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "We're proud to offer this valuable opportunity to superintendents for the 17th year," said Stephanie Schwenke, turf market manager for Syngenta. "We recognize the increasing demands they face including business management, labor shortages and the need to uphold turf quality. The insights provided by the professors from Wake Forest University are remarkably valuable for helping them navigate these challenges. Participants leave the program equipped with fresh strategies to elevate their golf course management."
    Class size is limited and applicants must be a current GreenTrust 365 participant and employed in the U.S. as a golf course superintendent, director of agronomy or similar position.
    Click here to apply. Superintendents can also contact their Syngenta territory manager for more information. To be considered, candidates must fill out an application that includes a short essay on why they should be chosen to attend.
    "I would tell anybody to do it," said 2024 SBI attendee Cody Sander, superintendent at Wilmington (Delaware) Country Club. "I've done several professional-development experiences before, and this is by far the best one that I've been a part of. It really shows that Syngenta is committed to bettering us and that they put the financial side separately. It also shows their commitment to creating better superintendents and getting back to us as the end user."
    Applications must be submitted online by midnight Pacific time on Aug. 11. Selected participants will be notified in October. 
  • After spending parts of the past six decades on a golf course, Sam MacKenzie, CGCS, only had to look at his under-utilized bass boat to make a decision about his future.
    "It's been catching more dust than fish," said MacKenzie. "I want to change that trajectory." 
    Director of Grounds at Olympia Fields Country Club in suburban Chicago for the past 19 years, MacKenzie, 64, will retire in 2026. It is a decision MacKenzie has been pondering for some time. 
    "At the end of 2023, we were having my review with the executive committee, and the club president asked 'What are your plans, what do you want to do?'He didn't want me to quit or anything like that. He wanted to know what I'm thinking," MacKenzie said. "I said 'My contract ends in December 2025, and I'll turn 65 that month. And at that time I'll have been here just about 20 years. There's a lot of symmetry in that."
    A 1983 Michigan State graduate, MacKenzie's first job in golf was in 1979 at McComb Country Club in Illinois, and his first head superintendent position was at Delaware Country Club in Muncie, Indiana. After seven years in Muncie, he moved on to Broadmoor Country Club in Indianapolis, where he spent 10 years before taking his current position at Olympia Fields in 2006.
    The club has extended his contract for an additional year, through December 2026, while MacKenzie helps South Course superintendent Francisco Velasquez prepare to take over as director of grounds.
    Another Michigan State graduate, Velasquez has been at Olympia Fields for most of the past decade.
    "He started here as an intern and has worked his way up," MacKenzie said. "He's going to be dynamite."

    Transplanting a large oak tree from out of play to the middle of a fairway was one of the more challenging projects during Sam MacKenzie's career at Olympia Fields Country Club. The 2008 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year award winner, MacKenzie points to a list of accomplishments that includes major tournaments for all of the game's major associations - including two BMW Championship events - and hopes his career speaks for itself.
    "Tournaments are tough," he said. "We've done tournaments with the USGA, the LPGA, the PGA of America and the PGA Tour, and they've all gone off without a hiccup."
    One of the more interesting and challenging projects of his career came last year when a large oak tree was transplanted from an out-of-play location to the 11th fairway of the South Course to replace one of similar size that had come down during a storm. It took a tree-moving firm from Texas four days to complete the project.
    While much has changed throughout the duration of his career in the way golf courses are managed, MacKenzie said two things stand out to him.
    "Number 1 is how we water the golf course and number 2 is how we fertilize it," he said. "In improper doses and in the wrong combination, they can be detrimental to turf health. The turf can thrive with much less than we once thought."
    After his retirement is official, MacKenzie and wife Sally plan to relocate to Lake Wales, Florida, where there is no shortage of lakes to launch his boat.
    "I've been blessed," he said. "A guy my age doesn't always get to go out the way he wants to."
  • DryJect recently added two new franchisees to better serve customers nationwide.
    Atlanta Turf will now serve DryJect customers in northern Georgia. Ryan Turf will represent the company to turf managers in the San Francisco Bay Area.
    "When a territory is divided, it gives our franchisees the opportunity to better serve their customers, and that’s the most important aspect of our business model," said DryJect president John Paddock.

    DryJect uses water and vacuum to create holes in the soil while simultaneously filling them with sand or a soil amendment. Hatboro, Pennsylvania-based DryJect is a solutions-based company that uses a high-speed, water-based injection system to create aeration holes through the root zone to fracture the soil. Vacuum technology simultaneously fills holes to the surface with sand or a soil amendment, leaving the surface smooth and playable. 
    For more information about DryJect services in northern Georgia, contact Nicholas Alvey at 419-509-5939, or by email at atlantaturfllc@gmail.com. For additional information about services offered by DryJect in the San Francisco Bay area, call Bill Ryan at 408-656-2121, or email him at billdryject@gmail.com.
  • Aquatrols names new marketing manager
    The Aquatrols Co., recently named Megan Svec as its new marketing manager.
    Svec's experience includes content creation, event planning, market analysis, digital marketing and partnership coordination. She has worked in several industries including government, commercial real estate and construction management. Most recently, she worked for Infinite Blue, a business software company that was acquired last year by Everbridge. Her experience with Infinite Blue focused on events, social media, email campaigns and webinars.
    Part of Lamberti, a chemical manufacturer with headquarters in Italy, Aquatrols is Paulsboro, New Jersey-based company that has been providing soil surfactant and wetting agent innovation for the turfgrass and horticulture industries for more than 70 years.
     
    PBI adds to leadership team
    PBI-Gordon recently named Gilbert Bourk and Eric Bur to the company's executive leadership team.
    Bur (near right) was named vice president and chief financial officer for PBI and its subsidiaries, and as such oversees all aspects of the financial planning, accounting and IT functions for PBI. He joined PBI in 2019 as the senior director of finance.
    Bourk (far right) has been named vice president and general counsel for PBI and its subsidiaries, PBI-Gordon Corp., Pegasus Laboratories and Pet-Ag Inc. Bourk joined PBI in 2019 as the senior director of the PBI legal department.
    Based in Shawnee, Kansas, employee-owned PBI-Gordon develops, manufactures and markets products to the professional turf and ornamental industry as well as the companion animal health industry through its three subsidiaries.
     
    Envu expands management unit
    Envu named three new members to its sales management team.
    Pat Quinlan, Jay Long and Zak Peterson (left to right below) collectively have more than 50 years of combined experience in the lawn, golf and sports turf industries.

      Quinlan will manage Envu's efforts in northern New Jersey and eastern New York. Quinlan has more than 20 years of experience as a superintendent, including the past eight years at Fairmount Country Club in Chatham Township, New Jersey.
    Long will support Envu customers in eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. Prior to joining Envu, Long served as the superintendent of golf for the Mercer County (New Jersey) Park Commission where he oversaw the agronomic and operational management of five 18-hole golf courses. A native of Staten Island, NY, he has been a golf course superintendent for almost 30 years.
    Peterson will serve customers in Illinois and Indiana. Prior to joining Envu, Peterson served as the Midwest regional sales manager for Arborjet/Ecologel over a 13-state area. He also served as the grounds manager for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team.
  • A pioneer in autonomous mowing, Kress Commercial Robotics provided a sneak peak at its latest innovation in outdoor power equipment during the company's NEXT Summit.
    Held April 3 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the summit was the site of the unveiling of the company's new battery-powered KR800 40 "Cut N Go" robotic mower. The emission-free, electric, ZTR-replacement mower helps improve operational efficiency and profitability by mowing large areas in the background as crews focus on detailed and more time-consuming tasks. Cut N Go is designed to navigate with by mapping — a simple ride-on process — multiple areas.
    "Our mission for Kress Commercial Robotics is to be much more than a products company, and instead to be the premier technology provider in our industry," said Don Gao, founder and CEO of Kress' parent company Positec.
    With a 40-inch cutting deck, the battery-powered Cut N Go can mow as many as five acres on a single charge. The mower autonomously loads and unloads from a trailer, and can move on its own from one project to another after initial property mapping. It features a 5,000-hour operational life and fully integrates into the Kress Fleet Management System. With boundary-wirefree navigation and 360-degree obstacle avoidance Cut N Go avoids people and other objects.

    The battery-powered KR800 40 Cut N Go robotic mower from Kress that can cut up to 5 acres on a single charge will be available early in 2026. Features of the Cut N Go are:
    40-inch cutting deck Autonomous trailer loading and unloading Battery supports all day operation  5000-hour operational life Integrated with Kress Fleet Management System 360-degree obstacle avoidance Ride-on for perimeter mapping and commuting Level 5 autonomous driving capability The Cut N Go mows precise patterns using RTK-positioning technology that originally was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense. The unit features Level 5 autonomous driving capability, which means after the initial mapping process it requires no direct human interaction to complete its tasks.
    "Built for all-day operation with zero emissions, Cut N Go fits seamlessly with any crew that currently uses a ZTR while increasing labor efficiency and protecting crews from breathing harmful emissions," said Todd Zimmerman, vice president of product development.
    The Cut N Go unit will be available early in 2026.
  • DLF is set to expand its outreach with the establishment of two Product Knowledge Centers in North America.
    DLF, the global grass seed company with headquarters in Roskilde, Denmark, plans to open the new centers in Philomath, Oregon and Port Hope, Ontario on July 1.
    Each will help the company promote product education, information from field trials and provide information on technical support while also building on collaboration between product management, marketing and sales personnel.
    This association helps each group work together to serve customers and build the company's presence throughout North America.
    "Our vision for these centers is to prominently feature everything the DLF portfolio has to offer, from bentgrass to alfalfa to new innovations in seed enhancement," said DLF North America executive vice president Neil Douglas. "These locations are important to demonstrate the value of our product innovation, training customers and staff, and for collaborating with key industry partners."

    DLF is adding two Product Knowledge Centers in July, one in Oregon and one in Ontario. DLF photo The Willamette Valley, being close to many of DLF’s key U.S. grower partners, is an area the company plans to continue investing in. The Philomath and Port Hope Product Knowledge Centers will remain the host sites for DLF's seed camps and ongoing customer education activities.
    As part of this growth initiative, and to advance DLF's efforts to strengthen its breeding programs and ensure long-term operational excellence, the company will consolidate two independent research stations in Philomath, Oregon, and Touchet, Washington into a single multi-species breeding station located in Touchet.
    "A single, well-staffed station will strengthen our R&D activities and ensure we continue to deliver new high-quality forage and turf products, while at the same time provide long-term career growth opportunities for our employees," said DLF executive vice president and scientific officer Derek Bartlem
    Both breeding stations are now operating independently. By consolidating its Pacific Northwest breeding operations in Touchet, company officials believe they can create a stronger breeding station that better supports research and development goals without impacting staffing numbers. The company also has a breeding station in West Salem, Wisconsin.
  • Two superintendents, one each in Texas and Florida, recently were recognized for their work in government relations on behalf of the turf industry.
    Chris Ortmeier, director of agronomy at Champions Golf Club in Houston, and Clinton Tingen, CGCS at Sandhill Crane Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, have been named Grassroots Ambassador Leadership Award winners by the GCSAA.
    The Grassroots Ambassador Leadership Award recognizes those who have demonstrated growth in advocacy through congressional outreach and relationship development. Each wins a trip to participate in National Golf Day, scheduled for April 30-May 2 in Washington, D.C.

    The two winners of the Grassroots Ambassador Leadership Award are headed to the National Golf Day event in Washington, D.C., courtesy of Toro. The award recognizes those who have demonstrated growth in advocacy through congressional outreach and is part of the Grassroots Ambassador program that matches superintendents with members of Congress to build relationships based on issues critical to the golf industry. Both superintendents win a trip to participate in National Golf Day, scheduled for April 30-May 2 in Washington, D.C., courtesy of The Toro Co. 
    More than 500 superintendents are participating in the program.
    A graduate of the Texas Tech turfgrass program, Ortmeier has been at Champions Club for 11 years. As an ambassador since 2021, Ortmeier is paired with Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX).  
    In meetings with McCaul's staff members, Ortmeier (right) has addressed key legislation that affects pesticide products and labor issues, including the H-2B guest worker program.
    He said being an ambassador has allowed him to be involved in the golf industry beyond his duties on the golf course, and that participating in the program has given him a greater understanding of the political process and the game's place in it.
    "I have always jumped at any opportunity to do my part for GCSAA," Ortmeier said. "Being an ambassador doesn't require much prior political experience and, at its core, is about serving for the greater vitality of golf."
    Ortmeier was president of the Lone Star GCSA in 2022 and has been on the chapter's board of directors since 2018. 
    In his fourth year as superintendent at Sandhill Crane, Tingen (right) has been an ambassador since 2020 and is paired with Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL). Before becoming an ambassador, Tingen believed legislators were well acquainted with issues affecting the golf industry. He has since learned that there is a need for education on issues such as the guest worker program, water use, pesticides and disaster relief.
    "They didn't know the golf industry relies on H-2B visas or that golf was included in the 'sin list,' and it hit me that these people are all busy and fielding asks from everybody," he said. "If we don't have a seat at the table, our voice will not be heard. I'm glad I got involved and don't mind giving extra time to educate people about our industry." 
    Tingen stays in regular contact with several staff members from Mast's office. He has had the opportunity to meet with Mast and members of his office to discuss the H-2B program and the tax code bill that excludes golf from federal economic aid and disaster relief.
    "We presented numbers about sustainability and golf's real water use, explaining how irrigation computers limit water use to reduce waste," Tingen said. "My advocacy efforts also include watching out for and responding to calls to action from the GCSAA government affairs department. Advocacy is important because although it may not pay off instantly, the relationships we build will help us out one day. We need to let people know that golf has good intentions and to ask them to keep us in mind when making decisions."
  • Tiger Woods and the home of the Masters Tournament are partnering to promote golf in the Augusta community and educational opportunities to the area's underserved population.
    Augusta National Golf Club announced plans for Woods' TGR Design firm to design a nine-hole, par-3 course at Augusta Municipal Golf Course, known commonly now as The Patch.
    The golfer's TGR Foundation also is partnering with Augusta National to establish in Augusta the fourth TGR Learning Lab that will bring science, technology, engineering, arts and math education to students throughout the surrounding community.
    "Today’s announcements mark an important milestone for Augusta and deepen the connection our community has with one of our greatest Masters champions, Tiger Woods," Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said in an address to the media. "We are thankful to partner with the TGR Foundation and jointly invest in the Augusta community. This partnership, in the TGR Learning Lab, reflects our shared interest in increasing access to high-quality programming and impacting the next generation in a tangible way."
    The new course designed by Woods is part of a master plan at The Patch that includes a renovation by the team of Tom Fazio and Beau Welling that began in January. The new short course will be named The Loop at the Patch, in recognition of the caddies who have used the course as a gathering spot for decades. 

    A master plan at Augusta Municipal Golf Course, aka The Patch, will include a renovation to the 18-hole golf course by Tom Fazio and Beau Welling and a new nine-hole par-3 course designed by Tiger Woods. "What an honor to be here and to have this moment to be able to be part of Augusta National but just in a different way," Woods, a 15-time major championship winner and five-time Masters champion, said in a video promoting the project. "I have the ability to be able to design something that is going to impact the community, something that I truly believe in, education and STEM and giving back to the underserved and to be able to do this with Augusta National, what an honor."
    The project is expected to open around the time of next year's Masters. The STEM lab is scheduled to open in 2028 on the site of a closed Augusta elementary school.
    "So much good will come from this project," Ridley said.
    "With scheduled completion a year from now, this nine-hole, par-3 course will be great fun and serve all golfers, ranging from those being introduced to the game to the most avid players."
  • EnP Investments, the maker of granular and liquid fertilizers for the golf, sports turf and lawn and landscape markets, recently named Mark McCarel as sales manager for its northeast territory.
    McCarel's post is a newly created position to support the Foliar-Pak customer base and distributor network throughout the region.
    A former superintendent, McCarel (right) has three decades of green industry experience, that also includes a position with UgMO, a former soil moisture technology firm.
    "My golf experience will be most relevant to this role, but my time at UgMO Technologies allowed me to learn and hone other business skills relating to sales, marketing, product development, and customer success," McCarel said. "My experience over the last 30 years will help me guide customers on how best to value and position the Foliar-Pak product line to their end users—to deliver the promised results and ensure their success."
    McCarel's hands-on experience and passion for turf make him a strong addition to the EnP team.
    "He has a deep understanding of what turf professionals need to succeed, and we're confident that his expertise will help us strengthen our presence in the Northeast," said George Murray, EnP president.
    Based in Mendota, Illinois, EnP Investments manufactures specialty products, such as liquid and granular fertilizers, amino acid products, wetting agents and aquatics formulated to:
    Prevent plant stress from environmental factors Accelerate turfgrass establishment Enhance soil biology Encourage controlled growth Alleviate difficult soil conditions
  • After years of planning and a lengthy approval process, an apprenticeship program for aspiring turfgrass managers in New York has just about hit the halfway mark with its inaugural class.
    The New York State Turfgrass Association Apprenticeship Program is a 24-month program for those seeking to improve their turf management skills through a carefully selected curriculum of classroom instruction and on-the-job training.
    The program, which was developed through a collaborative effort that includes NYSTA staff, the New York Department of Labor, faculty at SUNY-Delhi and Tyler Bloom of Bloom Golf Partners, the program's administrator, consists of 19 college credits and 4,000 hours of on-the-job training.
    More than two years in the planning and development process, the program was approved by the NY Department of Labor in December 2023, and the first group of a dozen students enrolled last fall, and will finish the course in May 2026, said NYSTA executive director Sue VanAmburgh.
    "It took about two years before it was finalized with the New York Department of Labor," VanAmburgh said. "It was quite a process to get it approved.
    "Since then, it has been a learning process for them and us."
    Most of the students enrolled in the program currently work on golf courses. The bulk of the education takes place in a virtual classroom. However, one week each semester all 12 are required to attend classes in person for lab work, with accommodations in university housing.
    "They really seem to enjoy that," VanAmburgh said. "They get a chance to network with each other and stay in touch when they go back home."
    The apprenticeship is designed primarily for would-be turf managers who lack a two-year or four-year degree, but need the skills acquired in college to further their careers. 
    The cost of enrolling in the program typically is paid by the employer, which qualifies them for $7,000 in tax incentives. On-the-job training takes place at the golf course where each student already works, but what they do each day no differs from their pre-apprenticeship day-to-day routine, and a qualified instructor or mentor on staff will oversee the process to ensure that work is completed in a manner that would satisfy state DOL requirements. Hours worked on the job count toward that 4,000-hour total.
    "It's mostly for people who want to go further in their education but couldn't," VanAmburgh said. "It goes both ways: It's a good thing for the student, and it's a good thing for you as the employer."
    On-site training is a combination performing and learning the following:
    Project management, drainage, grading and sodding Methods of aerification General small-engine maintenance Trim trees/shrubs using hand and power-operated equipment Field maintenance Adjustment and repair to irrigation/voltage lighting systems Facility and field upkeep Water management Daily maintenance and projects Application of fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides Golf course maintenance, or sports field maintenance NYSTA needed a Guinea pig to go through the program on sort of a Beta process, and Ryan Bain of Noyac Golf Club in Sag Harbor, New York, was only happy to comply, going through the program from 2022-24.
    "I knew the program was just starting, but someone had to be first," Bain said. ". There was some unknown along the way, but I had a great support system between the team at Noyac, Delhi and NYSTA. Any time I had questions someone was there to answer them and guide me through the process."
    When Bain was hired at Noyac four years ago under superintendent Brian Goleski, CGCS, part of the onboarding was sending him to a two-year program at Rutgers or Penn State.

    Above, Ryan Bain, now the assistant superintendent Noyac Golf Club in Sag Harbor, New York,  is the first student to successfully complete the New York State Turfgrass Association Apprenticeship Program. Top, Bain installs sod as part of the apprenticeship program that allows students to gain classroom instruction and valuable on-the-job training in a variety of areas at their current place of employment. Below, Bain works on tree management at Noyac Golf Club. All photos courtesy of Ryan Bain
    "Ultimately, we chose the apprenticeship so I could stay on property full time and develop my skills in real-life applications," Bain said. "The apprenticeship seemed to have more advantages than disadvantages for the club because I could continue working, learning and being productive while taking classes. It was advantageous to me personally, because I continued collecting a paycheck while enrolled and did not have to go without income while furthering my education. I already had a bachelor's degree in business with which the apprenticeship coupled perfectly. I knew I was comfortable with online education, and could handle the workload."
    Through the program, he has improved his turf management skills, such as turf, disease and pest identification and treatment, water flow and pump station operation and soil chemistry, while never missing a day of work.
    "On the job, I was able to apply all these things, as well as learn how to operate every piece of equipment we use, install and maintain irrigation systems, manage people, scheduling to maximize manpower, budgeting, and so much more," he said.
    The seeds for the apprenticeship program first were planted in 2018 when NYSTA first discussed expanding educational opportunities for NYSTA members and turf managers throughout the state as part of a new strategic plan. Developing an education component fell on the shoulders of board member and retired SUNY Delhi instructor Dom Morales.
    It was Morales who brought Bloom, a former superintendent whose consulting firm specializes in, among other things, career development.
    "We heard the complaints from our members," Morales told TurfNet after the inaugural class started last year. "For every intern candidate there were eight to 10 openings. We couldn't fill them all. University turf schools once were accused of flooding the market with assistant candidates. Now, there is a drought of good, qualified people.
    "Approval from the DOL gives the program credibility. There is on-the-job training and related instruction, and everything is documented. Graduates get a certificate that proves they have these skills. 
    "It's a new way of educating turf professionals and getting them into the field with the knowledge to move up. We hope that employers see it as having someone on their crew who has potential, but can't go back to college. I think it's a win-win."
    Being the first person, albeit as a test pilot of sorts, to successfully complete the program already has paid dividends for Bain, whose career goals include, but are not limited to, becoming a head superintendent and perhaps dabbling in course design work.
    "I also love the game of golf and have considered pursuing a career with the USGA," he said. "The apprenticeship has already opened doors that would not have been possible otherwise. Immediately upon completing the program I was invited to apply for a head superintendent position. While that job did not work out, there will certainly be more opportunities in the next year and following years."
  • It is not often, if ever, that a golf course superintendent is recognized by a government agency for their work
    South Carolina’s House of Representatives recently honored the career of golf course superintendent Chuck Green when it presented the longtime superintendent with a resolution at the State House in Columbia.
    (Pictured at right: South Carolina Rep. Roger Kirby (left) presents Chuck Green with a resolution recognizing his contributions during a career as a golf course superintendent that has spanned more than 40 years.)
    Green, who is director of operations at Quixote Club in Sumter, is a past president of the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association. The Carolinas GCSA sustained unprecedented growth during his tenure as president, prompting the association to honor Green with its Distinguished Service Award last November.
    In a 40-year career, Green was superintendent at Florence Country Club and Columbia Country Club. In 2000, he grew-in Sage Valley Golf Club in Graniteville, South Carolina, where he remained for 19 years. He was named operations manager at Sunset Country Club in 2019 where he headed up the transition to the reinvented Quixote Club. Part of that transition was a $13 million renovation in 2020.
    "I am deeply honored that the House of Representatives would choose to do this," Green said in a news release. "And at the same time, I am proud that the golf course profession has come so far that our state’s leaders would recognize the work we do. So many people have helped me in my career and so many have helped advance the profession. I hope they all take some pride in this because they should."
    Green also played a lead role in helping advance turfgrass research in the Carolinas. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of Clemson University's Pee Dee Research and Education Center in Florence, South Carolina, which became synonymous with the work of retired Clemson plant pathologist Bruce Martin, Ph.D.
    The Clemson research center was established in 1911 in Darlington, South Carolina, but was reinvented in 1985 in its current location in Florence. Until 1985, Martin's research focused primarily on corn, cotton, sorghum and tobacco.
    "(W)ithout Chuck's intervention and willingness to intercede and plead my case it would have been unlikely that we would ever have built our program at Florence," Martin wrote last year in nominating Green for the award.
    The House resolution read in part: "…with much admiration, the House takes great pleasure in applauding Chuck Green on receiving such a highly coveted accolade as the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association Distinguished Service Award." The resolution was introduced by Rep. Roger Kirby, D-Florence, and carried 111 sponsors.
    The resolution cited highlights of Green’s 40-plus year career in golf course maintenance including his role in growing the Carolinas GCSA and helping transform the association’s annual conference and trade show into the country's largest regional golf course superintendent event.
    The resolution also noted that Green received support for his nomination for the prestigious GCSA Distinguished Service Award through an unprecedented 36 letters from fellow past presidents, turfgrass researchers, industry partners, and fellow superintendents, some of whom he mentored.

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